


the meaning of love

by bukkunkun



Series: secondary typing [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Beginnings, Bickering, Children, Enemies to Friends, First Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Headcanon, Kid Fic, Love, M/M, Meet-Cute, Not Beta Read, Original Character(s), Team as Family, Worldbuilding, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23612737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bukkunkun/pseuds/bukkunkun
Summary: Gladiolus the Duraludon knew the meaning of love.A look at the first few years of Raihan's life, and the first time he fell in love.
Relationships: Dande no Lizardon | Leon's Charizard & Kibana no Duraludon | Raihan's Duraludon, Dande | Leon & Dande no Lizardon | Leon's Charizard, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, Kibana | Raihan & Kibana no Duraludon | Raihan's Duraludon
Series: secondary typing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619305
Comments: 34
Kudos: 150





	the meaning of love

**Author's Note:**

> > I forgot to post this wholesome interaction from the bukkun swsh playthrough [pic.twitter.com/HBsaiBzYa2](https://t.co/HBsaiBzYa2)
>> 
>> — 🌟 bukkun 🌟 (@trickscd) [March 25, 2020](https://twitter.com/trickscd/status/1242614750124445696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 
> the entire fic, the tweet (1/2 jk). this is the prequel to the secondary typing series. i won't tell you to read it, reading this without prior knowledge of the series is on you buddy
> 
> anyway someone [said raihan endorsing himself](https://archiveofourown.org/comments/292077244) was badass and i am here to tell them that no. he's actually a dumbass babie and absolutely Not A Badass. ~~i sincerely apologise btw for that massive oversight re: rose's endorsement but Oh Well we're in too deep to change now, pal~~ so i wrote 10k to show them that. i am? a little regretful.
> 
> anyway it was kbdn day ([Reiwa Year] **2** / [April] **4** / [Day] **11** ) the other day and i completely missed it but oh well at least i made something skljdlskjd here please take it despite it being 75% filler
> 
> to recap pre-established names:  
>  \- gladiolus = duraludon  
>  \- red = charmander (!!)  
>  \- darude = trapinch

Gladiolus knew the meaning of love.

Gladiolus was a Duraludon who hatched from an egg incubated under a very precious boy’s bed. He hatched on almost the same day as his trainer did, and understood what love is the moment he stared into a fellow baby dragon’s eyes. 

Gladiolus loved Raihan dearly. He loved him since he was half his master’s size, since he towered over little baby Raihan, since he grew to full size a year into Raihan’s life. 

He was careful with his trainer’s heart, sticking by his side since day 1, as the days of their lives together stretched onward across the years. 

Gladiolus watched his beloved trainer grow into a dragon within a man. Spirited, powerful and strong-willed, little Raihan was a boy that quickly grew into a force to be reckoned with, far too much for his governess Villea, or his mother and father, Odora and Galahad. He even drove his uncle Narcissus up the wall, and the only person who was always endeared to Raihan’s antics was his grandmother, Dahlia. 

Not that Gladiolus blamed him—there was many a day when he would watch Raihan squirrel away from his lessons to hide in the upper floors of Hammerlocke Castle’s spires, high above the stadium to watch the trainers in the Gym, a wistful look on his face, his hand in Gladiolus’s. 

The only class his young master ever truly participated in was one that he had with his mother, when she and his father were around to be with him. His mother had been a finalist in the Gym Challenge and his father’s battling rival for quite some time in their university varsity, and Raihan listened to her every word as she taught him how to train Gladiolus up, and how to battle along with him. 

Her Sylveon Titania was her prizewinner and proved a fantastic training partner with Gladiolus. 

“You know,” she’d said often, as Odora and her son shared finger sandwiches in the courtyard of the castle, sitting on the ledge of the ancient Rayquaza-shaped fountain as they chatted happily. “She misses young Master Raihan very much.” 

“Raihan misses her too.” He’d always reply, and sometimes, Titania would feel like pinching his steel exterior—it wasn’t quite as hard as it would be when he was fully-grown—with her feelers, tutting. 

“That’s _Master_ Raihan to you!” She would scold him, but Gladiolus never really thought of Raihan that way. 

He loved Raihan, that was for sure—as friends, and _partners._ Never as his subservient pet dragon, never as an unfeeling weapon for glory. 

As Raihan grew up, Gladiolus was there every step of the way. 

The seventh birthday party, when Raihan stuffed a cold cupcake into one of his cousins’—Swordward? Shielbert? Oh, it was hard to tell the difference—shirts, escalating his party into a food fight filled with screaming, giggling children. Raihan was scolded rather harshly after that, but Gladiolus knew the truth—one of those two insufferable children was bullying a rather quiet girl, another one of their cousins from a distant, no-longer-noble branch that Galahad was still close with. Raihan stood up in her defense and slathered the cupcake on the offending boy, and called for the rest of the children to join in their little food fight to add some more life to the party.

Raihan left that detail of his little cousin out, and Gladiolus understood why.

He knew the meaning of love, after all.

The ninth birthday party, when Raihan ran away from the festivities in his brand-new, gorgeous silk shirt and braces and shorts, tripping over pinchy loafers and steep, uneven steps thanks to his blurred eyesight, light scattering into rainbows in his eyes as he cried. Gladiolus let him ride on his tail, before darting up the tower in record time, higher than anyone had ever gone before, until he and Raihan sat together on the roof of the highest feather of Hammerlocke Castle’s left wing, shivering in the cold of the night sky as Raihan finally dissolved into sobs, clinging to Gladiolus as he screamed against his partner’s metal coat about how much he hated his parents for not being there when they promised they’d be.

Raihan never made mention of it to his parents when they came back a week later, and Gladiolus understood why. 

He knew the meaning of love, after all.

Raihan’s life was woven into his very existence, every breath he took was for his beloved trainer, and every step he made was towards Raihan’s heart, full of love and devotion. 

Which was why a few nights before Raihan turned 13, Gladiolus didn’t hesitate when Raihan turned to look at him, standing in the doorway of his bedroom with wet eyes, grip white-knuckled on a travelling bag slung over his shoulder. 

“Are you coming with me?” He asked shakily. 

Earlier that evening, Gladiolus could only hear the tail end of a screaming argument—Raihan, screaming, his father, a more muted, quiet voice—before his trainer stormed into his room, locking the door behind him. Raihan didn’t even acknowledge him, grabbing what he needed and stuffing it into a little bag as Gladiolus stood there and watched him. 

“Gladiolus, I—” Raihan began, pulling Gladiolus back to the present as the boy bit his lip, hesitating. “You don’t have to come with me.” He pulled Gladiolus’s Pokéball out of his pocket, and sniffled slightly. “I-I… I don’t wanna make you leave with me, if you don’t wanna.” His grip went white-knuckled on his Pokéball, and Raihan looked like he was fighting back tears. 

“Please.” He said, softer this time. “Tell me. Are you coming with me?” 

Gladiolus lowered his head.

_Always, my beloved Raihan._

He moved forward, and pressed the lock of the Pokéball with his head, putting himself back into his ball. He looked up at Raihan, who sniffled, wiping roughly at his eyes and nose with the back of his hand. He grinned down at the ball, and laughed weakly. 

“Thanks, bud.” He said, and released Gladiolus again.

The Duraludon made his way over to his askew cabinet to pick out a handkerchief for his trainer. Raihan laughed sheepishly as he wiped Raihan’s eyes dry with it, before dropping it to the ground unceremoniously. He looked at Raihan expectantly, and the boy laughed, thumbing his nose in determination. 

“C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

Gladiolus didn’t know where they were going—didn’t know if this adventure would turn out well for the both of them, but he knew one thing—

He would follow Raihan to the ends of the earth and back, or die trying.

* * *

In the end, Raihan led Gladiolus to the Pokémon Nursery, where his father’s Flygon, Cereus, met them at the doorway, chirping curiously as Raihan brushed past him with an absentminded stroke of his back. 

Cereus turned to look at Gladiolus, his head cocked.

“Where is the Young Master going?” He asked, landing on the ground as Raihan made his way to the pen of Trapinches still left in Hammerlocke. Most of the Trapinches were Cereus’s, and Raihan was well-acquainted with all of them. Gladiolus looked sheepish. 

“To the Trapinch pen.” He replied, and the Flygon tutted. 

“Answer me properly, young dragon.” Cereus said. “I can see his bag. His parka, the headband. He’s leaving.” 

“Truth be told, I don’t know where he’s going.” Gladiolus said, and Cereus hummed. “All I know is that wherever it may be, I will be with him.”

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Raihan cried, and the two dragons turned to see one of Cereus’s Trapinches biting down on his headband. 

“Oh, he must hush himself down if he doesn’t want to be caught.” Cereus said, and Gladiolus jumped, looking at him in surprise.

“You… won’t alert us to Duke Galahad?” 

“No.” Cereus gave him a secret little smile. “After all, the journey that may have worked for my trainer may not work for yours. I’d rather him find his way than have others tell him where to go.” The Flygon looked at the little boy of a dragon negotiating with the Trapinch’s bite on his favourite headband to simply carry it in his arms, beaming proudly as he showed it a Pokéball. 

“Come in?” He asked, and the Trapinch promptly bit the ball in half.

“Ow!” Raihan hissed, and Gladiolus shook his head exasperatedly. 

“It would be wise to get rid of any evidence.” Cereus said airily, and Gladiolus nodded, hurrying towards his trainer to scoop the ruined Pokéball up into his mouth, and eat it. 

Oh, he wasn’t too fond of the taste, but the metal in the Pokéball would do wonders for his metal coating. 

Raihan blinked up at Gladiolus, and the Trapinch in his arms stared up at him in awe. Cereus flew over to them, nudging at Raihan’s side with his snout to lead him back out of the Trapinch pen, Gladiolus shutting the door behind him as he went. 

“That particular Trapinch is a bit of a biter, hard headed, but does like looking cool and seeing cool things.” Cereus told him as he led Raihan to the exit of the nursery, where the flying Pokémon could leave through for a quick flight if they wanted to. “He’ll behave if you keep him in line, I’m sure of it.” 

“Thank you, Cereus.” Gladiolus said, as Raihan turned to look at the Flygon, tears in his eyes. 

“Thanks, Cereus.” The boy said, reaching up for Cereus. The Flygon lowered his head to let Raihan press his forehead against his, sighing deeply. “I don’t hate my dad.” He murmured, and Cereus crooned in acknowledgement. “I just… I need to find my own way.”

Cereus gave him a little lick to the cheek, making Raihan giggle. The older dragon looked at Gladiolus, and gave him a low nod. 

“Take care of him.” He said. “I will make sure to let Duke Galahad and Duchess Odora know that he loves them.” 

“Thank you, truly.” Gladiolus said, and took one of Raihan’s hands. His trainer looked up at him with teary eyes, and Gladiolus lowered his head one last time at Cereus, before gently leading Raihan away.

* * *

Raihan apparently wanted to go to Motostoke. Unfortunately, the trains were no longer open at the time they’d run away from Hammerlocke Castle, and the only way was through the Wild Area, which remained open, the gate right in front of Hammerlocke Stadium. Gladiolus and Raihan walked together hand in hand towards the gate, but as they approached, the bells of Hammerlocke Castle tolling the eleventh hour of the night, he realised his little trainer was falling sleepy. The Trapinch in his arms was falling asleep, too, and Gladiolus couldn’t help but feel warm at the adorable sight. 

He smiled fondly, and knelt down in front of Raihan, offering his tail for the boy to ride.

“R-really?” Raihan mumbled, rubbing at his eyes, and Gladiolus nodded, gesturing for Raihan to get on. The boy gave him a sleepy smile and sat on his tail, pressing up against his back as Gladiolus stood up, letting Raihan adjust himself on his back to hug his Trapinch gently. “Could you… take me to Motostoke, Gladiolus…?”

Gladiolus made a soft sound of acknowledgement, and began to walk onward. Luckily, there was a smaller gateway that wasn’t manned by much personnel at this time of night—it was open 24/7 for terrestrial wild Pokémon to pass by without issue—and Gladiolus let himself and his sleeping trainer through.

The sight of the Wild Area stretching far before them stole Gladiolus’s breath away as he looked at the trees and grass that disappeared into the distance. 

It’s beautiful, he thought, walking slowly to not wake his passengers. He wouldn’t mind spending his days with Raihan under this blaze of stars, the sky clear and beautiful like the night after a storm. In the distance, Gladiolus could see the storm rolling on ahead of them, as if the sky was leading them to Motostoke with a trail of clear weather. 

He walked past the Lake of Outrage, down through the Dusty Bowl and through the bridge that separated Motostoke and Hammerlocke’s reaches, peering at the way a Pokémon Breeder closed up her nursery for the night, yawning as she gave the Macro Cosmos employee standing beside her door a cursory nod before heading inside. 

Gladiolus stayed away from the man as much as he could—he knew that if they were caught now, Raihan would just be sent home. 

Entering Motostoke was another problem in its entirety, so Gladiolus settled down underneath a wide-brimmed tree on the opposite side of the nursery. They were right next to a den that was mercifully empty for the time being, so he was content on sitting and staying there for the night, waiting for morning to come when Motostoke’s gates would be open to him _and_ Raihan, on his back.

The first night of their journey had been a rough one, but Gladiolus was confident Raihan would get through this successfully. 

Gently, rain began to fall on them, and Gladiolus put his arm over Raihan to keep him from getting wet, though the tree did a good enough job of that anyway. There may be rust on his coat the next morning, but he didn’t mind. A trip to the Pokémon Centre would fix that right away.

* * *

Sure enough, Gladiolus was mostly right—Raihan woke up feeling better than he ever did, and together, they walked hand in hand to Motostoke. Gladiolus didn’t know _why_ Raihan wanted to go to Motostoke, but he followed suit, ignoring the creaking ache in his joints from a stiff night’s sleep and the rust that had begun to form from the humidity and the rain the night before. 

Raihan apparently wanted to sign up for the Gym Challenge, which, coincidentally—or perhaps, purposefully, on Raihan’s part—began that very day they arrived at Motostoke. Armed with his nobility, a haughty personality and a confidence to start a scene until given what he wanted, Raihan endorsed himself on his own good word, causing a stir that earned him more than a few dirty glances from the other competitors in the lobby of Motostoke Stadium. Gladiolus stood protectively behind him, while the little Trapinch that Raihan had yet to name gnashed his jaws happily (though, Gladiolus supposed, it was meant to come off as threatening, going by the little thing’s attempt at an angry growl), which Raihan used to intimidate the Macro Cosmos employee to sign him up without question. 

Gladiolus was glad Raihan could finally start on the road to his dream of being a trainer—

When much to Gladiolus’s surprise, a little boy a few years younger than Raihan marched up to him and yanked on the hood of his parka. Raihan spluttered, whirling around to glower at the boy, who was a little shorter than he was, with purple hair that fluffed up underneath a slightly tattered-looking cap. 

“What the heck was that all about?” Raihan snarled, as the Trapinch snapped his jaws in agreement. “You little—”

“Your Duraludon’s getting all rusty!” The boy shouted in his face, jabbing a finger at his nose threateningly. 

“No, he’s not!” Raihan shot back, and Gladiolus stepped aside, ashamed. He tried not to let Raihan see that the boy was actually _correct,_ there was a patch of rust on his left shoulder, in the crook of his left leg and a patch on his back, but he didn’t want to worry Raihan with himself. The boy already had enough on his plate as it was. “I’m taking perfectly good care of Gladiolus!” 

“Well, you’re _not!_ ” The boy insisted, and grabbed Raihan’s wrist, tugging on it intently. Raihan resisted, gritting his teeth as he glowered at the boy, his blue eyes thinning to slits.

“Ugh, how _dare_ you! Lemme go! Who the heck do you think you are?”

“I’m Leon from Postwick!” The boy huffed, giving up when Raihan wasn’t budging. “I’m a Gym Challenger, just like you!” 

“What, _you?_ ” Raihan snarled. “You’re just a little kid!” 

“ _You’re_ a little kid too!” Leon stuck his tongue out at him, and Raihan crossed his arms. “And my mum says that it’s rude for people to not exchange names! So tell me your name, or I’m gonna start calling you… uh…” 

“Butthead!” Came the helpful, if a little stuttery, response of a little redhead girl in pigtails from the side.

“Yeah! What Sonia said!” Leon huffed. “Butthead!”

“I am Raihan, Earl of Derbyton!” Raihan shot back. “Treat me with _respect!_ ”

“I don’t wanna treat nobody with respect if they’re leaving their steel-type Pokémon to rust!” Leon’s Postwick drawl was thick with the slippery slide of the countryside accent, and Gladiolus found it a little funny. He giggled softly, missing the fact that Leon suddenly grabbed Raihan again, pulling him along to stand behind Gladiolus, jerking his finger at the large patch of rust on Gladiolus’s back. 

“What the—” Raihan’s eyes widened, and he looked up at Gladiolus, who lowered his head in shame. “When did you get this? In the Wild Area last night?”

“It _was_ rainin’ last night, yeah.” Leon nodded, rooting around his bag for something, and Raihan whirled around to glower at him. “Red, c’mon out. Can you help me?” 

He released a Charmander into the lobby, and it yawned softly as it straightened up to attention. Leon smiled at him sweetly, and picked him up. 

“Okay, give him a nice big lick, Red!”

“Do _not_ lick my Duraludon!” Raihan screeched, but the Charmander happily gave Gladiolus’s rust spot a lick. The mild acid tickled him somewhat, but Gladiolus stayed still as Leon reached up to wipe his rust spot clean with a spare strip of cloth he pulled out of his bag. Raihan fell quiet, staring in awe as Leon cleaned up the rest of Gladiolus’s spots, and by the end of it, he realised that he was purring. 

Gladiolus looked at the Charmander—Red, right—and gave him a little nod.

“Thank you so much.” He said.

“Ain’t nothin’ to it!” The Charmander had his trainer’s Postwick drawl, and it made Gladiolus chuckle fondly. He turned to look at Raihan, delighted at having his joints sorted out, when he realised his trainer looked _embarrassed._ His face dark with a flush, and Gladiolus sighed fondly, ambling over to Raihan to take his hand gently. “Wha’s wrong wi’ him?”

“I believe he’ll challenge your trainer to a battle.” Gladiolus said mildly, and Red’s eyes widened. He looked at Leon, who grinned at Raihan.

“There. All better.” He said, but he jumped when Raihan jabbed his finger at him.

“You!” He snarled. “Battle me!” 

“ _Huh?_ ” Leon’s redhead companion—Sonia, was it?—squealed. “ _Here?_ In the stadium lobby?”

“Sure!” Leon grinned, eyes bright and sparkling with mirth as he lifted Red’s ball with pride. “I’ll take you on, Raihan!”

“ _Absolutely not!_ ” A League staff member tutted, and suddenly Leon and Raihan were picked up by the scruffs of their shirts. The two boys squirmed in their hold, but they were swiftly escorted outside. “Take your battling outside! While we appreciate your enthusiasm, please battle somewhere where you won’t bother anyone else!” 

“I’ll take care of our stuff, Lee!” Called the redhead as they walked past her, and Leon gave her a wave.

“Thanks, Sonia!” He called, and Raihan pouted petulantly to himself. 

Gladiolus trotted after them, carrying Red on his tail as they went. He deflated slightly at the sight of his trainer—oh, he must have realised how alone he was. Hopefully, these new children could be friends later down the line—if Raihan would just be a bit more honest about himself. 

He sighed exasperatedly, and the Charmander on his back patted his arm.

“Yer’ train’r sounds like’a han’ful.” He said, and Gladiolus chuckled.

“He’s rather prickly, but he’s quite a sweet boy at heart. He’s truly a good person, I promise.”

“I’d reckon.” Red nodded. “But we hav’ta see that, first.”

“Indeed.”

* * *

In the end, Raihan won the battle. All things considered, it was a no-brainer—Red was still just a little Charmander in need of training, and while Gladiolus and Raihan weren’t the most experienced trainer-partner pair around, they were certainly more powerful than Leon and his little Charmander who only knew Ember, and Scratch, among other things.

Huffing in frustration, Leon shoved two Pokeballs into Raihan’s hands, before he picked Red up and hurried away. Raihan scowled in his direction, and stormed off towards the Budew Drop Inn in the opposite direction. 

Gladiolus watched Raihan leave, deflating slightly, and looked towards where Leon went. 

“That wasn’t the correct way, was it…?” He murmured, and turned to look at Raihan’s retreating back. 

Well. If his Raihan wasn’t going to make friends with this kind Leon boy, then Gladiolus will do it _for him._

* * *

Gladiolus found Leon and Red on the other side of Motostoke, on the bottom floor of a long flight of old maintenance stairs. Rain had begun to fall, casting the sky with a dark shadow that was quite the match with the way Leon looked, huddled in the corner made by two metal shipping containers. Gladiolus was mildly aware of the fact he was about to go rusty again, but he paid it no mind as he climbed down, calling out for Red, if he could hear him. 

Leon was crying, apparently, cradling Red’s Pokéball in his arms as he shielded him from the rain, and Gladiolus knew he couldn’t just leave him there. 

(He knew, in another world, if it was Raihan who came down here, he would have been the one to bring him back upstairs.)

Gladiolus came to a stop in front of Leon, cocking his head gently, and Leon stopped in the middle of hiccuping into his arms to look up, wondering why the rain had stopped on top of him. He jumped at the sight of Gladiolus hovering above him, and he gingerly reached out for the Duraludon.

Gently, Gladiolus met his hand halfway, holding it tenderly, and Leon sniffled. 

“You came back for me.”

Gladiolus lowered his head. 

_Always, dear Leon._

Leon smiled up at him shakily, and Gladiolus helped him back up onto his feet. Leon jumped when he saw the rust beginning to form on Gladiolus’s body, and he tutted, shaking his head. 

“You’re rusting up again.” He said with a sigh, and Gladiolus nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m terrible with directions.” 

Gladiolus nodded at him reassuringly, and together, he and Leon made their way back up to the second level of Motostoke, making a beeline for the Budew Drop Inn in the pouring rain to find a crowd gathered around the hotel. 

“Wonder what’s going on.” Leon said, his grip on Gladiolus’s hand tightening in worry, but the Duraludon squeezed his hand back gently, before heading onward towards the hotel.

“Look! A Duraludon!”

“Look! It’s got a boy—it’s the missing boy!” 

“They’re safe!”

“Thank goodness!”

Gladiolus was pleasantly surprised to see Raihan standing under the shade of an awning in front of the inn, in tears as he held on tightly to Officer Jenny’s hand. His other hand was buried in her Growlithe’s tuft of chest fur, the puppy Pokémon licking his hand reassuringly as Raihan practically wailed for Gladiolus. 

“Look, there he is!” Officer Jenny said softly, kneeling down next to Raihan to gesture at Gladiolus as he approached the hotel, Leon ready to burst into tears in tow. “Look! It’s Gladdie!”

Raihan only stopped to look up when the Trapinch he had with him crawled up to the hem of his jeans, nibbling on the hems by his ankles before biting at them gently. The boy looked up, and he lit up when he saw Gladiolus approaching. 

“Gladiolus!” Raihan whined, surging forward to hug his Duraludon. “Wh-wh-where’ve you been? I-I-I was so worried, I thought—I thought you’d left me, I—”

Gladiolus hugged him gently, as Leon jumped up onto his tail to hug him from behind.

“Thank you so much, Gladdie!” Leon sobbed, “Thank you, thank ye, than’ ye!” 

Gladiolus stood there, basking in the warmth of the sobbing children against his metal coat, and sighed. 

Oh, they were going to be a handful, he thought, but they were going to be wonderful, nonetheless. He hoped this would be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Soon, Officer Jenny finally managed to sort everything else out, helping the two boys get into their rooms—after helping Leon and Sonia check in together—and when the dust settled, Officer Jenny left Raihan, his Trapinch and Gladiolus alone in their hotel room with the promise of helping Leon heal his Charmander up after she said goodnight. She helpfully left a bottle of Pokémon rust remover and a cleaning cloth on the table by the door on her way out, but not without greeting him good night. 

“G’night, Officer Jenny.” Raihan mumbled, and she blew him a kiss.

“Keep an eye on your partner next time, okay?” She said. “And don’t lose sight of a rival like that! Sleep well.”

She shut the door, and Raihan stood there awkwardly, looking up at Gladiolus with his eyes welling up with tears. 

“I’m sorry.” He said weakly. “I—I did this to you, didn’t I?”

Gladiolus shook his head, as the Trapinch happily kept nibbling at the bag of berries Officer Jenny gave them. 

“I _did._ I totally did!” Raihan began to cry, and Gladiolus shook his head, pulling the boy close for a hug. Raihan clung onto him desperately as his little hands balled into fists against Gladiolus’s metal coat. “I-I di-didn’t take—take care of you w-well e-enough.” He sobbed, and the little Trapinch finally looked up from his meal to see Raihan and Gladiolus hugging. “I-it’s my fault Leon picked a fight with us, it’s my fault you got all rusty again right after a fight!” 

Gladiolus held onto Raihan, and wished he could tell his trainer that it wasn’t his fault, not really. 

“I-I yelled at Leon and got mad, and—and that made him run away, and then I made Sonia cry because Leon ran away, and—and I caused so much trouble…” Raihan continued to ramble as the Trapinch squeezed himself into the space between Raihan and Gladiolus, hugging close to Raihan, who hugged him without thinking. “I just—I just wanted to join the Gym Challenge, but I’ve already caused a mess before it even started!”

“It’s not your fault.” Gladiolus growled softly. 

“He cawn’t heaw ush.” Came the Trapinch’s muffled response, and Gladiolus realised it’d been the first time he spoke. “Daddy jush huggt it awt wen… when we cwy.” 

Gladiolus didn’t know who Trapinch meant, if it was Cereus or Duke Galahad when he came by, but he realised the little baby Pokémon had a point. 

There were times _after_ Raihan ran away to be alone and cry when Duke Galahad would find him easily, like his son was a beacon in the dark, and pick him up and hold him until he stopped crying. 

“He wikes hugs, wike me!” Trapinch continued, and nibbled on Raihan’s ear, making the boy wince, but laugh softly as he pulled away from the little Pokémon, shaking him softly. 

“That kinda hurt, you know!” He laughed, but much to Gladiolus’s relief, he seemed to be calming down. “But dad always said that’s how Trapinches show their love.” 

“He’s wight!” Trapinch huffed.

Gladiolus made a grunt of affirmation, and Raihan looked up at him. 

“Do you think…” He hesitated, and Gladiolus held his head gently. Raihan laughed softly, as the Duraludon patted his head through his headband. “Gladiolus… can we still salvage this?” He asked, and Gladiolus nodded sedately. “You really think so?”

“You just need to make new friends.” He said, as the Trapinch leaned up to nuzzle Raihan’s cheek, and the boy giggled softly. 

“Wonder what I gotta do…” Raihan murmured, and Gladiolus sighed fondly. 

He held Raihan’s hand, and squeezed it gently. 

Raihan’s lip trembled, and squeezed Gladiolus’s hand back. “We’ll… we’ll be okay.”

* * *

They all ran into each other again somewhere along Route 5 before reaching Hulbury, when Raihan sat at the bridge across Hammerlocke, staring at the castle with a wistful sigh. 

Gladiolus had been making sure his trainer wasn’t going to fall off, and Trapinch was… well, doing what he did best in the grass, he supposed, when Leon and Sonia emerged from Turffield with a new friend. Raihan hadn’t spoken a word to them since the opening ceremony out of sheer embarrassment, standing the whole pitch across them as they stood and waved at the crowd, Leon staring up at the current Champion with stars in his eyes. 

Gladiolus remembered fondly the way Raihan looked from where he could see him in his Pokéball. 

Like he wanted to be with them, holding hands, smiling at the crowd just the way Leon and Sonia were. 

Like he wanted Leon to look at him like that, the way he looked up at the Champion with stars and utmost _wonder_ in his eyes.

In the end, Raihan never spoke to them again, until they caught up to him on the bridge along Route 5. Leon and Sonia’s new friend was a dark-skinned little girl, her hair up in a half-pony. She hurried on ahead of them to pick up something she spotted on the ground, beaming proudly as she thrust it up into the air, letting Leon and Sonia see.

“Look!” she said, “A Pretty Feather!” 

“Oh!” Sonia jumped up and down. “Lemme see! Lemme see!” 

The two girls huddled together to look at the feather, while Leon jogged on ahead, lighting up in recognition at the sight of Gladiolus on the bridge. 

“Oh, it’s you!” He said, hurrying up to Gladiolus to hold his hands delightedly. “Gladdie! Hi!”

“Hey!” Raihan snapped, and Leon scowled at the boy severely. “I’m _right here,_ y’know!”

“ _Gladdie’s_ the one I made frien’s with,” Leon scoffed. “Not _you._ ” 

Raihan looked like he’d been slapped at that, and he deflated slightly, stepping back away from the pouting boy as he rubbed his arm sheepishly. Gladiolus jerked in alarm at that, and he reached out for his trainer to hold his shoulder gently. 

Leon looked a little ashamed of himself at the sight of them as Gladiolus stepped away from Leon to support his trainer. His hands balled into fists beside him as the Trapinch trotted back to them, cocking his head airily.

“Wha’s gowing own, Gwadiowus?” He asked, but Gladiolus shook his head. “ _Oh._ Ish _sewious._ ”

“Whoa, isn’t that Lord Raihan?” The new girl asked, and Raihan jumped, looking up to realise that Sonia and the girl had finally come over to them. He blinked at her in confusion as she twirled a lock of her hair lazily, giving him a once-over before pouting. “I thought you’d be taller.” She said. “I’m _towering_ over you.”

“Bit rude that I’m the only one who doesn’t know who you are.” Raihan mumbled, and the girl grinned at him cheekily.

“Oh, someday you’ll know my name without asking.” She huffed haughtily, and poked him in the shoulder. “I’m Nessa. I’m a Gym Challenger like you guys.”

“Raihan.” Raihan offered, and nothing else, and Leon raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hey, where’d all the Earl Raihan schtick go?” He asked, poking Raihan’s arm, and Raihan shot him a withering look. 

“Like I _asked_ for your opinion.” He snarled, his eyes thinning into slits, and Nessa whistled. 

“Cool trick.” She said, but was ignored.

He jabbed his finger into Leon’s face, scowling. “Battle me!” 

“ _Again?_ ” Sonia groaned, but squeaked when Leon tossed his bag at her, grinning. 

“I’ll take you on!” He crowed, pulling out Red’s Pokéball. Raihan growled at him angrily as they shot apart from each other, standing on opposite sides of the bridge. “I’ve grown stronger since the last time we fought!”

“Oh, yeah?” Raihan shot back, “I bet you still can’t beat me!”

Gladiolus looked at his Charmander friend, who gave him a helpless little grin. 

“Sorry ‘bout them.” He said, as they stood across each other, stancing up to get ready for their trainers’ orders. “Leon’s a good kid, ah’ promise.” 

“I’m sure he is.” Gladiolus said, and Leon suddenly spoke. 

“Hey, Raihan!” He called, “Let’s amp up the stakes!” 

Gladiolus and Raihan’s eyes widened at him as he grinned at him determinedly. 

“Tell me what you want if you win!” Leon said, and Raihan blinked at him for a moment, hesitating in confusion. “Fine! If _I_ win, you have to do the fanning when we camp together after this!”

“ _What?_ ” The girls gasped beside them, but Leon paid them no heed. 

“Deal?” Leon pressed, squeezing his fist. “What’s your stake in this?”

Raihan growled, gritting his teeth as he thought for a moment, and bit out, “You lot leave me alone for the rest of the Gym Challenge.” 

Gladiolus whirled around to look at him, aghast, as Red blinked in alarm. Raihan didn’t meet his gaze, lowering his head so his headband covered his eyes, but Trapinch—who’d managed to stand next to him, finally—was openly shocked, eyes welling up with tears. 

“ _Whaaaat?_ ” Trapinch whined. “But I _wanna_ go camping! I wanna _eeeeeat!_ ”

“Oh, hush, you.” Raihan said softly, picking up the crying Trapinch into his arms. Gently he stroked the Trapinch’s head, hushing him softly until his sobbing calmed down. Leon’s gaze softened at him, and Raihan’s cheeks darkened as he hid further under his headband. “S-shut the heck up, Leon. _Let’s battle!_ ”

Gladiolus huffed, and turned back to Red. 

Red looked back at him, and winced. 

“I’m gonna miss ya’, Gladiolus.”

“You won’t.”

“H-huh?”

“Let’s go, Gladiolus!” Raihan barked, “Breaking Swipe!”

Gladiolus charged at Red—

* * *

“And that should do it.”

Gladiolus woke up thanks to a Revive from an exasperated Sonia. She was leaning over him, and he realised he was inside a tent—yellow, unfamiliar, seemingly brand-new. He sat up, and gave her a thankful nod. 

“I’m sorry your trainer and Leon are _like that._ ” She said, and he shook his head. “I don’t know what came over Leon to invite Raihan to camp with us—he doesn’t even camp with _you!_ ”

Gladiolus couldn’t deny that. When he and Raihan left Hammerlocke Castle, the boy had neglected to bring camping gear with them, and all they had going for them were a ridiculous amount of potions, revives, and little sandwiches Raihan won from Battle Cafés or bought from convenience stores. He lowered his head sheepishly instead, and the redhead sighed exasperatedly. 

“Honestly! Anyway, the boys are making dinner right now for all of us, so just take it easy for now. Red wants to see you, and—oh!” She jumped when her excitable little Yamper came rushing into the tent. Sonia burst into giggles as the Pokémon showered her with sloppy kisses, but she managed to push him down with a sigh. “Anyway, I better go help Nessa set up her tent outside. See you.”

She leaned forward to press a kiss to Gladiolus’s forehead, and headed out of the tent, just as Red strode into the tent, a frown on his face. Behind him a Chewtle trotted after his tail, and Gladiolus sat up, looking down sheepishly at the little Pokémon in front of him. 

“You threw th’ battle.” Red said accusingly, and Gladiolus sighed. 

“Regretfully.” He replied. “You understand why, though, right?”

Red sighed, scratching his snout. “Yeh. I do.”

“Introduce us!” the Chewtle said, tugging on Red’s hand with a soft bite to his palm, and the Yamper barked happily, bounding over to Gladiolus to cuddle him. 

“Right, right.” Red shook his head. “Gladiolus, this is Nessa’s Chewtle. His name’s Stapler.”

“Pleased to meetcha!” Stapler chirped, and Gladiolus deemed it polite not to ask why he was named as such, simply nodding in understanding. The Chewtle whistled—well, either that or it was the result of his buck tooth, Gladiolus supposed—and nodded. “Wow! You really are one-a ‘em fancy boys!”

“Um.” Gladiolus frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

“I think he’s complimenting you.” Red said, “You _do_ talk real posh, ‘n such.” 

“I… apologise.” 

“Ya did it again!” Stapler snickered. “Man, they really teach ya’ all the fancy stuff in them big castles, huh? You didn’ even ask where my name came from!”

“That would presumably be rude.” Gladiolus replied tartly, and Stapler snorted, bursting into laughter. 

“Fancy boy!” He said, shaking his head, and Gladiolus lowered his head in embarrassment. 

Sonia’s Yamper jumped up and down, barking excitedly, and Red laughed as Gladiolus looked at him. 

“He can’t talk yet?” He asked, and Red shook his head. 

“He just hatched recently.” He explained, petting the Yamper’s head. “This is Cheddar. He’ll be able to talk like that Trapinch you’re with soon, though.”

“That’s good to know.” Gladiolus nodded, and peered at the flaps of the tent. “I wonder how Raihan’s doing.”

“We saw him bickering with Leon before we made our way in.” Stapler said. “Wanna see? They’re a _riot._ ”

“I just hope they’ll be friends.” Gladiolus said, and Red nodded, as they all trooped out of the tent to see that the two boys had fallen quiet, fanning the flames under the curry pot aggressively, as if trying to outdo the other. Nessa was stirring the pot with a look of amusement on her face, gently pulling away the Trapinch—who was also trying to fan the flames, if a bit poorly—when he got too close to the fire. Sonia was off to the side taking care of the rice, making a few trips back and forth between the pot and the table to add some seasoning to the pot, among other things. 

“They look okay.” Stapler said, and Gladiolus sighed in relief. 

“I’m glad.” He said, and strode over to them, patiently letting Red, Stapler and Cheddar climb on his tail to ride him the way there. Gently, he picked up Trapinch to save him the trouble of trying to help—ignoring the “No! Wemme go! I wanna hewp!” from the little baby Pokémon—much to Nessa’s amusement. 

“Thank you, Gladdie.” She said. “You’re so well-behaved—oh! Everyone’s on your back! Are you alright?”

Gladiolus lowered his head reassuringly, and Raihan looked up from the fire. 

“Gladiolus! I’m getting you the biggest darn serving of the best dang curry you’ve ever had in your life!” He called aggressively, not once faltering in the way he fanned the fire. 

“What, like _you_ made it!” Leon shot back, but he was grinning. “ _I’m_ gonna make sure this curry is top-class!”

“The both of you are gonna burn it with the way you’re fanning the fire.” Nessa tutted, and the boys fell quiet, flushing in embarrassment as they went back to fanning the flame. “Jeez.” The eldest girl rolled her eyes, and looked at the Pokémon. “In any case, we’re nearly done. You guys go get your plates from Sonia and line up so we can all give you your share.”

The small Pokémon let out cheers of delight, Gladiolus simply smiling at her, before they all made their way to Sonia, Trapinch hitching a ride on his friend. 

“Hey, Sonia.” Raihan said, and the redhead looked up from the rice cooker to blink at him in confusion, before pointing at herself, surprised at being called by Raihan normally. He rolled his eyes, and gestured at the Trapinch in Gladiolus’s hands. “Could you give Trapinch a big serving? He needs a lot of food to grow up.” His voice was surprisingly gentle, and he completely missed the way Leon smiled at him fondly. 

“O-oh, sure. Yeah, I was—uh, I was gonna do that.” Sonia stammered. “I’ll… I’ll do that.”

“Thanks.” Raihan mumbled, and turned back to fanning the flames, resolutely trying not to look at Leon, who had stopped fanning to smile at him. “Shut up, Leon, I _do_ take care of my team very well.”

“Yeah, I know.” Leon said sweetly, and Raihan hid under his headband some more. “Otherwise Gladdie would never have stayed loyal to you.”

Gladiolus looked up at Leon, eyes wide in surprise, and Leon gave him an easy grin. 

“Anyway!” He said, springing up onto his feet. “Let’s eat! I’m _starving!_ ”

* * *

The curry was _delicious—_ apparently, one of Sonia’s many talents, along with being very knowledgeable about Pokémon. Apparently, she was the Professor’s granddaughter, and Gladiolus could see it in the way she handled Red, Stapler, Trapinch and himself. She was rather clinical about it, the only Pokémon she was truly lax around her Cheddar. Nessa, on the other hand, seemed really used to being around Pokémon all her life, not even reacting when Stapler began chewing on her hair bun. 

“It’s normal,” she assured Sonia through a mouthful of curry, while Leon and Raihan lost themselves in their laughter, leaning against each other. “He does this all the time. Helps him with his teething.” 

“Have you been around Stapler all your life, Nessa?” Leon asked, and she shrugged.

“My family’s a family of fishermen, so I’m around water-type Pokémon all the time.” She said. “Stapler and I go swimming together every day before the Gym Challenge, so I just got used to him.” 

Apparently, Stapler was named as such because five-year-old Nessa saw her father using a stapler that was the same colour as her Chewtle, and that was it. Gladiolus was glad he wasn’t the one to ask that question—it’d been Trapinch, who was on his second serving of curry. Stapler didn’t seem to mind the question, nor his name, and Gladiolus realised that Stapler, despite his rough exterior, seemed to know as he did.

Stapler understood the meaning of love, he realised, and bore the name his beloved Nessa gave him with pride.

Gladiolus was content with that knowledge, smiling to himself as he listened to the children talk together, sharing stories, learning more about each other as the night went on. Raihan spoke the least, though Gladiolus didn’t blame him for that, knowing his trainer felt a little left out on some of the things Leon, Sonia and Nessa’s pre-established friendship had. Still, he did speak when spoken to, and by the time their campfire died and their curry pot scrubbed clean, Leon and Raihan were a little less hostile towards each other than when the day started. 

Gladiolus watched Nessa bundle a sleepy Sonia into her tent with a simple wave and a ‘goodnight’ to the boys, before zipping the flaps up. He looked over at his trainer, who was staring wide-eyed at the other singular tent left behind for him and Leon. He held Trapinch close to himself, hugging him close as he tried to process what was going on.

“Wh-what’s this?” He stammered, as Leon tugged on his wrist to pull him into the tent. “H-hold on! We’re sleeping _together?_ ”

“Yeah?” Leon cocked his head. “There’s only one other tent.”

“Hold on, hold on—” Raihan shook his head. “Don’t you have your own?” 

“Actually, this is Sonia’s.” Leon admitted, turning red, and Raihan boggled at him as Trapinch nibbled on the hem of his parka sleeve. “M-my mum couldn’t afford to buy me a tent, but Sonia’s tent could fit us both inside. That’s why we’re travelling together, since I don’t have a camping set of my own.” He scratched his cheek. “That, and so I don’t get lost, I suppose.”

“I…” Raihan faltered somewhat, his cheeks growing hot in shame. He hid his face behind Trapinch, deflating slightly. “ _Oh._ ” 

“And, well, Sonia and I are used to sharing her tent, but now that Nessa’s with us, she doesn’t really wanna sleep with me around, so she and Sonia share while I get the spare tent.” Leon laughed sheepishly. “I… uh. I thought it’d be nice to have a tentmate again, but if you want, I can just—”

“Ugh, just get inside.” Raihan huffed, shoving Leon into the tent. Trapinch cheered in his arms, wiggling delightedly, and Gladiolus shook his head fondly. 

“Wow, really?” Leon beamed, and that was all of their conversation that Gladiolus could hear. He nodded to himself fondly as he tucked Cheddar and Stapler into their Pokéballs, before putting them into their respective trainers’ bags. Red trotted over to him to unzip Sonia and Nessa’s tent flap open slightly to let Gladiolus put their bags inside their tent, and zipped it closed again. 

The two Pokémon looked at each other, and Gladiolus gestured for Red to go first. Red beamed at him, and put himself back into his Pokéball. Gladiolus peered into Leon and Raihan’s tent to see the two boys squabbling over who got to sleep where, and he shook his head fondly. He strode in, gently putting Red’s ball on top of Leon’s tattered bag to drop himself down between them, pulling Leon down to lie on his left, and Raihan to lie on his right. 

“Wh—Gladiolus?” Raihan jumped, but Leon didn’t seem to mind, sighing happily as he cuddled close to Gladiolus. “ _Hey!_ ”

“Thanks, Gladdie.” Leon mumbled. “At least _someone’s_ more agreeable.”

“Oh, shut up.” Raihan rolled his eyes, and looked up at Gladiolus. “Wanna go back into your ball?” he asked, and Gladiolus nodded. He was already taking up a lot of space anyway, and despite—or, perhaps, _in spite of_ —Leon’s whines of protest, Raihan put Gladiolus into his Pokéball, gently setting him aside. 

“Jeez,” Gladiolus could hear Leon complain. “He was fine being there, at least we didn’t have to sleep together.”

“I thought you said you _wanted_ a tentmate!” Raihan shot back, and there was fabric rustling—oh, they were probably kicking at each other. 

“Hey, cut it out!” Leon squealed, and suddenly he burst out laughing. 

“Oh! You’re ticklish!” Raihan crowed, and Leon’s laughter began anew. 

Gladiolus was happy to leave it at that, letting himself fall asleep.

* * *

Raihan didn’t stay with Leon, Sonia and Nessa, but he ran into them fairly frequently after that. Galar Mine 2, Motostoke Outskirts, and in the send-off at Motostoke, Raihan bumped into and challenged Leon to a battle, and every night after that, Leon defeated him, making him stay for curry, dinner and pleasant company. 

Gladiolus wasn’t even throwing the matches after that—Red was growing stronger, and Gladiolus couldn’t be prouder of the little Charmander every time he got knocked down by him. Of course, the training he got from Raihan was even harder after that, but Gladiolus was happy to grow stronger, feeling his strength grow and his body mature with the change from Trapinch’s baby speech to full, clear sentences. 

“Hey, Gladiolus?” Trapinch asked as they strode together into the Dusty Bowl, and Gladiolus hummed. “How come I don’t have a name yet?”

“I think Raihan hasn’t decided yet.” He replied, and Trapinch frowned, looking down at the ground with a frown. “Cheer up, it’ll be fine.”

“But…” Trapinch began, when suddenly thunder ripped across the sky above them. Raihan’s head shot up, looking up in shock to realise that rain was beginning to fall on them. 

“We gotta get outta here!” He gasped, looking around—when suddenly a bolt of lightning shot down in front of them, making them all jump and scream in shock. Raihan clung onto Gladiolus as the dragon scooped his trainer and Trapinch up into his arms, and they whirled around to make their way to Giant’s Cap—

When an angry-looking Manectric came charging towards them. 

“Gladiolus! Dodge!” Raihan screamed, and Gladiolus leapt out of the way in time to let the Manectric pass them by harmlessly. “Wh—what’d we do? Why’d it attack us?”

Gladiolus looked around desperately, when the Trapinch gasped.

“We disturbed her nest!” He called, pointing at a little crevice, where two Electrikes were squirming around, crying out for their mother. Raihan looked at where he was pointing, and his eyes widened.

“Oh, no!” He patted Gladiolus’s side. “I think we made her mad by disturbing her babies! We gotta get outta here!” 

Gladiolus nodded, and took off in a sprint through the Giant’s Cap, only for the Manectric to catch up to them easily. Raihan’s eyes widened as a Thunderbolt came flying towards them—

Only for the Trapinch to jump up from Raihan’s arms to take the attack head-on. Gladiolus jerked in alarm, and he skidded to a halt just as Raihan jumped off his slippery, wet back, standing behind the Trapinch to see if he was alright.

“T-Trapinch, you okay?” He asked, and he heaved a sigh of relief as the little Pokémon straightened up, standing on his stubby little legs.

“That tickled!” The Trapinch cawed proudly, and realisation dawned in Gladiolus.

That was right—Trapinch was completely immune to Electric-type attacks! 

Trapinch looked at Raihan over his shoulder, and the boy smiled down at him in awe. 

“Good job! Let’s take care of this Manectric, Trapinch!” He said, and the Pokémon nodded determinedly, turning back to look at the Manectric with confidence. “Use Dig!” 

Trapinch made a move to dig into the ground, but came short when he realised the ground had grown sticky and muddy. He looked at Raihan, shaking his head desperately, and Raihan grit his teeth. 

“Oh, no, he can’t get into the earth…” His eyes widened as the Manectric surged forward to attack Trapinch, and Raihan gasped. “Trapinch, get out of there!”

The little Pokémon panicked, scuttling away as fast as he could, but the Manectric was faster, slamming into him in a Quick Attack that sent him flying back. Gladiolus caught Trapinch, alarmed and concerned for his friend, and he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the baby Pokémon still had yet to faint. 

“We gotta get outta here!” Raihan grit his teeth. “But in this thunderstorm, we’re not gonna get away from this Manectric!”

“Wait!” Trapinch gasped, “I’ve got an idea!”

“I hope this works!” Gladiolus said. 

“It will!” 

The Trapinch closed his eyes, concentrating, and Raihan looked up at the sky, blinking in confusion.

“The rain’s… stopping.” He said, and turned to look at Trapinch, who began to reach out to the sky, letting out a weak sort of roar. “T-Trapinch?” He asked worriedly. 

“Blow forth, _sandstorm!_ ” Trapinch roared into the sky, and Raihan’s eyes widened as a sandstorm suddenly kicked up. He whirled around, covering his face as the Manectric shook her head, confused. 

“What’s going on?” She growled, “I can’t—I can’t see!”

“That’s it!” Gladiolus nodded, and grabbed Raihan, carrying him in his arms as he hurried away from the Manectric, making their way up to the familiar slope of Hammerlocke Hills, where they could see a Macro Cosmos employee speaking with a trainer wearing the uniform from the Hammerlocke Gym. They looked up to see Gladiolus approaching, Raihan in his arms, and the two adults jumped in surprise.

“What’s wrong?” Asked the Macro Cosmos employee as he met them halfway, taking Raihan from Gladiolus’s arms. “What happened to this boy?”

“Oh! It’s Lord Raihan!” The gym trainer gasped, and Raihan squirmed in the man’s arms until he put the boy down. He scurried to hide behind Gladiolus as Trapinch scuttled in front of him, the two Pokémon protectively shielding Raihan from the two adults. “Oh, you’re alright! The Duke and Duchess were so worried about you!”

“Back off!” Raihan snarled, and the trainer shook their head fondly. 

“Well, of course. They’ve elected to let you finish your Gym Challenge, though they wanted me to give you this.” They held up a bag full of camping gear, and Raihan’s eyes widened as the trainer handed it over to him. “Duke Galahad was understandably more worried than Duchess Odora, but she was very proud of you when she saw you win three Gym Badges in a row. They wish you all the best in your journey, but that you should come over one evening to have dinner with them. They miss you terribly.”

Raihan deflated, looking down at the bag of camping gear he’d been given. 

“I…” He sighed, shaking his head. “Tell them I’ll be coming over soon.” 

“Will do.” The trainer gave the Macro Cosmos employee and Raihan a mock salute. “I’ll be off now! See you soon, Lord Raihan!”

“R-right.” Raihan mumbled. “Oh, and tell them thank you!”

The trainer gave him a wave as he jogged into Hammerlocke, and the League staff member shook his head fondly. 

“Well, I know they said you had won three badges, but I’d still like to see them to verify.” He said, and Raihan nodded, gingerly fishing out the League Medallion from his bag. The man nodded, and gestured at the gateway into Hammerlocke. “Welcome home, Lord Raihan.”

“Uh… thanks.” Raihan mumbled, picking up his Trapinch. Gladiolus followed suit, and before Raihan managed to step through into the castle town, the man tapped his shoulder. 

“By the way, did you cause that sandstorm in the Dusty Bowl?” He asked, and Raihan blinked at him. “I noticed you have a Trapinch with you. That’s a powerful sandstorm he kicked up!” he reached for the Trapinch and scratched him under the chin. 

“Oh… oh he’s _good._ ” Trapinch sighed happily, chomping his jaw, and the man quickly retracted his hand. “Aw.” 

“Y-yeah, that’s him.” Raihan gave the man a sheepish grin. “That’s my Trapinch.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” The man nodded. “Give it a bit more time, and I’m sure he’ll be a powerful Flygon someday.” He gave Raihan a wave as they headed into the castle town, and Raihan hugged Trapinch close to his chest. 

“You know…” He murmured, as the Trapinch looked up at him, head cocked. “I just realised that I haven’t named you yet.”

“Oh! It’s time! It’s time!” Trapinch squealed, squirming in Raihan’s arms excitedly, and Raihan laughed fondly, pressing their foreheads together. 

“Yeah, sorry I took a while.” He said, and pulled away, stroking the Trapinch’s head. “Since you blew me a sandstorm… how about…”

* * *

“I think it’s cool.” Gladiolus said, as he watched Red scurrying away from the Trapinch as he chased him down to bite his tail again. “What about you, Stapler?” 

“Hmph.” Stapler was now a Dreadnaw, and on top of his head perched a giggling Wingull. “Can’t be harder to explain Stapler, so I really don’t mind.” 

“How are you _not_ laughing?” Red scurried up Gladiolus’s back, now made easier with his larger size as a Charmeleon. “Darude! Like, _Darude - Sandstorm!_ ”

The newly-named Trapinch, Darude, gnashed his jaws at Red as the Charmeleon giggled brightly. Beyond them, the children all ate curry together—and this time, Raihan joined Leon, Sonia and Nessa without the premise of a battle. 

In fact, he came marching out into Hammerlocke Hills—after a trip to the Pokémon Centre and the local market to pick up ingredients—to wait for them to arrive, and essentially forced them to camp right outside of the walls that covered Hammerlocke Castle Town. 

“Well, _I_ like the name!” Darude snarled at Red, who blew him a raspberry. “I like it! I like it!”

“And that’s what’s important.” Gladiolus said sagely, and he realised belatedly that Red’s Postwick drawl had started to disappear, just like Leon’s. He put Red down on the ground, and patted the Charmeleon’s head. “Don’t tease him for it.”

“Yeah!” Darude chimed in. “Raihan gave it to me! It’s mine and it’s precious to me!” 

Gladiolus looked at Red pointedly as the Charmeleon looked sheepish, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. “Fine.” He grumbled. “Okay, Darude. It’s nice to have a name on you now.” 

“Hmph!” Darude scoffed, and Gladiolus shook his head fondly, turning to look at Raihan, who was now— _finally_ —engaging in conversation with the other children, brightly-smiling and lovely as Gladiolus knew him. He nodded to himself in contentment, leaning back in his seat as he basked in the moment, which lasted until the dishes were cleaned off and it was time to go to bed. 

“You’re not coming in with me?” Leon asked, blinking at Raihan as he made a gesture at his tent—blue and orange, the colours of the Duchy of Hammerlocke. 

“I’ve got my own tent, now.” He said. “I don’t wanna bother you.”

“But—” Leon began, looking hurt, and Raihan stopped, looking at him with wide eyes. Leon tore his gaze away from Raihan, and he sighed, shaking his head as he rubbed his arm. “N-never mind. You’re right. G-good night, Raihan.”

“I…” Raihan hesitated, his cheeks darkening in embarrassment, and Gladiolus shook his head fondly. He got up, bundling the other Pokémon along with him until he piled them all into Raihan’s tent, much to his trainer’s surprise. “G-Gladiolus?” 

“Gladdie?” Leon asked, his eyes wide. “What’re… what’re you doing?” 

Gladiolus gave them a wave, before stepping into the tent, turning to look at a group of snickering Pokémon. Darude gave him a cheeky grin, as Red frowned, crossing his arms. 

“I like your style, Gladiolus.” Darude said, as Red huffed.

“I’m not too thrilled at the prospect of _not_ sleeping next to Leon tonight.” He said. 

Huh. Leon said he liked having a tentmate. If Leon always cuddled with Red when Raihan wasn’t around, then…

Gladiolus shook his head. “You’ll get over it.” He said, and gestured for all of them to lie down. “Alright, everyone. Get some rest.”

The Pokémon in the tent all grumbled their acknowledgment, and began to settle down to sleep. Red pouted at Gladiolus and made a move to head outside, but the Duraludon held him back, shaking his head. 

“Just one peek.” Red said. “I’m worried about Leon.”

“Raihan’s not a bad child.” Gladiolus sighed, but Red shook his head. 

“You can’t de-swayed me.” He said, and the Duraludon chuckled fondly. Together, they peeked out of the tent to see Leon and Raihan standing awkwardly together in front of Leon’s—well, _Sonia’s_ —tent. They were tense and quiet next to each other, and Raihan sighed, shaking his head. 

“Leon?” He asked softly. “I’m sorry I was ever mean to you.”

“Huh?” Leon blinked at him, as the teen stood in front of the tent entrance, his hands balled into fists. 

“I was just…” Raihan hesitated, and took a shaky breath. “I’m sorry I’d been mean and distant to you. To Sonia and Nessa, too. I know you’d been trying, I’m not stupid.”

Leon sniffed. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Raihan laughed wryly, shaking his head. 

“I’m sorry.” He said again. “I guess I just… oh, nothing’s gonna justify my attitude towards you guys.”

“No,” Leon shook his head. “But I think you could explain it.”

Raihan blinked at him. 

“Officer Jenny really helped me and Sonia kinda understand what you were going through.” He explained. “Sometimes someone would just be too scared or too lonely to try making friends with someone.” He took Raihan’s hand. “She said… maybe you needed someone to talk to you.”

Raihan blinked at their joined hands, and laughed softly. 

“How are you so much more mature than I am?”

“Think you’re more mature in other places.” Leon blew him a raspberry. “Where’d this come from?”

“Well, I…” Raihan looked up at the castle they were camping next to, and Leon looked up at it too, sighing contentedly. “We’re approaching Hammerlocke tomorrow. Before we go in there, I… I wanted to clear things up. Before you, Sonia or Nessa assume anything else about me.”

“He’s only talking to Leon about it, though.” Red huffed, and Gladiolus hushed him.

“Okay,” Leon clasped his hands behind his head. “Lay it on me. The whole thing.”

Raihan shook his head fondly. “Well, the long and short of it is that I ran away from home.”

Leon’s expression fell at that, and gently he pulled Raihan to sit with him in front of the embers of their dying campfire. 

“I… didn’t know.” Leon said softly, and Raihan snorted. 

“Anyone with a connected telly would’ve known.” He said, and Leon looked sheepish. 

“We don’t have a telly at home.” He said, and Raihan blinked at him. “Don’t really have much. Just the house, the Wooloo farm.” Leon laughed softly. “I’m jus’ a country hick, I didn’t know who you were until I asked Officer Jenny about you.”

“Explains a lot.” Raihan sighed, and Leon burst out laughing at his response. The older boy grinned, and shook his head as Leon calmed down. “The night I left, my dad and I got into an argument.”

“What was it about?” Leon asked. 

“Dunno. Can’t remember, it wasn’t really that important, in hindsight.” Raihan sighed, curling up to hug his knees close to his chest. “A right screaming match, that was. Well, on my side, that is.”

Red looked up at Gladiolus, and the Duraludon nodded. 

“Oh, I… I never knew.” He said, and Gladiolus patted his back comfortingly. 

“You never thought to ask.” He said. “To which I’m grateful, mind.”

“Ugh, you really do speak real fancy.” Red scoffed, and Gladiolus chuckled, and they turned back to watching their trainers. 

“So I packed up Gladiolus and Darude and ran away from Hammerlocke. We went through the Wild Area and got rained on.”

“So that’s why Gladdie was rusted over when I met you.” Leon hummed. “You didn’t have your own camping set, either.”

“Yeah, I didn’t.” Raihan shook his head.

Leon huffed a little laugh, and bumped their shoulders together. 

“Well, looks like we have a few things in common, don’t we?” He asked, and Raihan gave him a little grin. 

“I suppose so.” He said, and held out his hand. “Let’s start over.”

Leon beamed at him, and took his hand, shaking it soundly. “I’m Leon from Postwick.”

“Raihan, from Hammerlocke.” Raihan replied. “Thank you for being patient with me.”

Leon laughed sheepishly, thumbing at his nose. “Well, you kinda did push me to become better at battling because of that prickly attitude!” He said. “You make a good rival, y’know!” 

“How’d I do that?” Raihan blinked at him, and Leon’s answering smile was positively _radiant._

“Well, since the first time we battled, if you had won, I would never have gotten to be your friend like this.” Leon said, and Raihan’s eyes widened. “I don’t think we’d ever be sitting together like this, under the stars, if I hadn’t been the better trainer.”

He looked up at the stars, and smiled, and Raihan could see the blaze of starlight of his first night of freedom reflected in Leon’s golden eyes. 

“You’ve pushed me to always be the better trainer. So I could always have you around for camping, to always compete with you at fanning the curry.” He sighed happily. “You’re my rival, Raihan. If you weren’t there, I wouldn’t be as strong as I am now.” Leon looked up at him, and laughed sheepishly. “And, well, I hope I’m helping you get stronger too.”

“I…” Raihan looked up at the sky, too, and smiled. “You are.”

Leon grinned at him, and looked up again. “Then that’s good enough for me.” He said. 

Red huffed at that. “They should head in before they catch a cold.” He said, pointing at the two boys huddled together by the side of a dead campfire. “Gladiolus, we should go—”

“No.” Gladiolus said gently, and pulled Red back into the tent. “We should leave them alone.”

“But—” Red began, but Gladiolus shook his head, smiling fondly as he tucked Red underneath the velvet blanket next to a snoozing Darude. “ _Gladiolus!_ ” He hissed, but the Duraludon shook his head. 

“I think you don’t quite understand what just happened yet.” He said, patting the Charmeleon’s head. “Give it time.” 

“And what, _you_ did?” Red blinked at him incredulously, and Gladiolus nodded, sitting down next to the flap of the tent, where he could see Raihan and Leon slowly hold hands as they huddled closer together for warmth.

“Yes.” He replied, and shut his eyes.

After all, Gladiolus was quite intimate with the signs—the gentle curve of his beloved Raihan’s lips into a smile, the twinkle in his eyes, the way draconic slits dilated into something closer to the Normal-type of the world around them. 

Leon gently nuzzled his head into the crook of Raihan’s neck, and the boy let him, resting his head on top of Leon’s as they stargazed under the clear night sky.

It was but a bud of a feeling, but Gladiolus was glad to see it sprout by his hand. 

Let it be said that Steel-types were not heartless, and that Dragon-types were not brutes.

This loyal, loving Duraludon will help it blossom.

Gladiolus, after all, knew the meaning of love.

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly have nothing left to say except i apologise


End file.
